Tour Summary
On June 16, 2023, the Watershed Ecosystems Project team was joined by an extensive group of water researchers, local and provincial government representatives, Syilx community members, District community members, and source water users on an informative field tour of the sqʷʔa (Peachland Creek) watershed hosted by local watershed advocacy group, the Peachland Watershed Protection Alliance (PWPA).
The tour served a variety of purposes for the Watershed Ecosystem Project’s research in the sqʷʔa (Peachland Creek) watershed including the facilitation of knowledge exchange, partnership building, and the development of individual relationships with the physical watershed.
Many members of the watershed community were present, shared their perspectives, and engaged in poignant conversations regarding current ecological health and frameworks of governance. Syilx elders, researchers, and community members were present, grounding the tour within the understanding of unrelinquished Syilx rights and title to the watershed area, and the important role of Syilx water sciences, laws, and cultural relationships in Watershed Ecosystems Project research.
This tour illustrated increasing cumulative pressures amid a changing climate, highlighting the importance of interdisciplinary, whole-of-watershed approaches to support more robust understandings of interior watersheds.
Thank You!
The Watershed Ecosystems Project team is very grateful to have had this opportunity to learn from the community. Special thanks to the Syilx hosts for welcoming our group into the territory, the speakers, and to the PWPA for facilitating this well-organized and successful event. We look forward to continued collaborations and partnerships into the future.
Tour Photos
